Well completion tool



- March 31, 1964 B. J. GRAHAM 3,126,963

WELL COMPLETION TOOL Filed June 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INC-3 UPPER PORT 2O UPPER PASSAGEWAY- 2| LATCHING DOG-l9 PASSAGEWAY- 4 CONVENTIONAL LINER HANGER PACKER CASINGI 7 ASSEMBLY -22 NNER CYLINDER MEMBER-24 R CYLINDER MEMBER-25 BYPASS PORT -6 SHEAR PIN-l6 FLAPPER VALVE ACTUATOR ROD- l5 LOWER PASSAGEWAY-5 SHEAR PIN- I? LOWER MEMBER-I2 LOWER PORT- F LAPPER VALVE- 7 23 SLEEVE-l4 SHOULDER-II SLOTTED SCREEN -9 BALL VALVE- a SHOE-l0 GOING IN THE HOLE Billy J. Graham Inventor Patent Attorney B. J. GRAHAM WELL COMPLETION TOOL March 31, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1960 BALL VALVE =8 GRAVEL BEING PLACED Billy J. Graham Inventor Patent Attorney March 31, 1964 B. J. GRAHAM WELL COMPLETIONTOOL Filed June 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \LOWER PASSAGEWAY-5 IIIH LOWER PORT PRODUCING OIL Billy J. Grdham Inventor I UJW Patent Attorney United States Patent 3,126,963 WELL CQMPLETION TOOL Billy J. Graham, Midland, Tex., assignor to Jersey Production Research Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 27, 1950, Ser. No. 38,781 Claims. (Cl. 165-51) The present invention is concerned with an improved well completion tool by which it is possible to wash sand from a well bore and also to gravel pack the well bore at the desired location. Thus, the present invention specifically covers a one trip, completion tool wherein it is not necessary to use two toolsone to remove the sand and the other to gravel pack. This eliminates the pulling of the string, thereby saving a considerable amount of time.

It is well known in the art to drill boreholes into the earths substrata in order to reach reservoir formations containing hydrocarbon oils and gases. In these drilling operations, due to the nature of the surrounding formation, it is often necessary to remove sand and to thereafter gravel pack the oil producing formation. Normally, this has required a two-stage process. In the first stage, a tool is used to wash out the sand. After completion of the removal of the sand, this particular tool is removed to the surface and a gravel packing tool then lowered from the earths surface through the borehole to the oil producing formation. The present invention comprises a well completion tool which can perform both of these operations on a one trip basis.

The well completion tool of the present invention may be fully understood by reference to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the same. FIG. 1 illustrates the tool going into the sand formation at the bottom of a borehole. FIG. 2 illustrates the tool at the bottom of the borehole with the sand removed and in a position to insert the gravel. FIG. 3 shows a position of the tool in the borehole after the gravel pack has been set and in a position to aid in the production of the oil from the surrounding substrata.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1, casing 1 is shown extending from the earths surface down the borehole into a position immediately above an oil producing formation 39. The completion tool 2 of the present invention is shown attached to the lower end of tubing 3 also extending from the earths surface. In essence, tool 2 comprises an outer cylindrical member, an inner cylindrical member and a lower cylindrical member. Inner cylindrical member 24 is designed to be removed after the completion of the operation, while outer cylindrical member 25 and lower cylindrical member 12 are designed to remain in the borehole to facilitate the production of oil.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the tool 2 comprises a shoe Ill which penetrates into sand 13 which is to be removed. The shoe ltl comprises a ball valve 8 which operates as hereinafter described. In the operation for the removal of the sand, fluid is pumped down within tubing 3. This fluid enters the tool 2, passes through an upper passageway 4 which terminates at a bypass port 6. A flapper valve 7, as well as the misalignment between the inner cylinder member and the lower port, prevent this fluid from leaving passageway 4 other than through bypass port 6.

This fluid then enters lower passageway 5 and continues to flow downwardly into the shoe and outwardly into the sand by means of ports 28. This fluid forces the sand to flow upwardly to the surface in the annular area between the casing and the tool, and the annular casing and the tubing. The tool illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an open ball valve 8, a slotted screen 9, a shoulder l1 ice on lower member 12, a sleeve 14, a flapper actuation rod 15, an upper shear pin 16, a lower shear pin 17, a packer 22, latching dog 19, an upper port 20, an upper secondary passageway 21, a conventional liner hanger packer assembly which consists of a packer 22 and a notched teeth unit 27, an inner cylindrical member 24, an outer cylindrical member 25, and notched teeth 27 which operate in a manner as hereinafter described.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the tool is illustrated positioned on the bottom of the borehole with the sand removed and with gravel being introduced. This position of the tool is secured by allowing the weight of the tubing to force outer cylindrical member 25 downwardly with respect to lower member 12. This causes the pin 17 to shear. The flapper actuator rod 15 also forces flapper valve 7 to close bypass port 6. Also packer 22 is expanded so as to make contact with the inner surface of the casing and seal off the lower annular area about the tool. The tooth element assembly 27 is also expanded in order to securely attach the tool to the inner surface of the casing.

Thus, in operation as illustrated by FIG. 2, gravel is pumped downwardly through the tubing, through passageway 4 and out through lower port 63 into the annular area about the tool and below packer 22. The fluid passes through holes 28 in slotted screen 9. These holes are of a sufficiently small diameter so as to prevent the passage of the gravel therethrough. The fluid passes upwardly through lower passageway 5, through upper passageway 21, through upper port 20 and into the annular area between the tool and the casing wall, and is thus removed to the surface.

Reference is made to FIG. 3 wherein the tool is ready for production. When the borehole is fully gravelpacked, the inner cylindrical member 24 is unscrewed from outer cylindrical member 25 and removed therefrom. As the inner cylinder is removed from the remainder of the tool, the sleeve is raised until it reaches the stop 64 of the outer cylindrical member. Shear pin 16 is then sheared and the sleeve is left in this upper position, thus closing the lower port. The oil then is produced through the gravel pack, through the slotted screen and upwardly through lower passageway 5. While the operation of the tool as described has been concerned with bottom hole completion, it can easily be adapted to completion at any point in the casing.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved dual purpose tool assembly for removing sand from and gravel packing a portion of a borehole which extends into the earths substrata, said assembly being releasably attachable to the lower end of a tubing string extending downwardly in said borehole, which assembly comprises a lower cylindrical member and an outer cylindrical member positioned about said lower cylindrical member, said members being attached to each other in upper position by means of a shear pin, thereby initially preventing vertical movement with respect to each other, an inner cylindrical member within said outer cylindrical member, a first upper passageway within said inner member communicating from within said tubing to a by-pass port within said inner member, said by-pass port, in turn, communicating to the upper end of a lower passageway within sadi lower member, said lower passageway communicating to the lower end of said assembly, whereby fluid can be pumped downwardly within said tubing through said assembly, thereby washing sand upwardly in the annular area between said assembly and the borehole wall, a packer assembly positioned on said outer cylindrical member, said packer assembly being capable of expanding and sealing off the annular area between the borehole wall and said assembly, means for exerting a downward thrust on said outer cylindrical member to shear said pin, thereby allowing said outer cylindrical member to move vertically with respect to said lower cylindrical member to a lower position to expand said packer, a lower port in said outer cylindrical member below said packer designed to align itself with the lower end of said first upper passageway upon movement of said outer cylindrical member to its lower position, thereby permitting communication between the lower end of said upper passageway and the annular area without said assembly, whereby gravel can be pumped downwardly within said tubing through said first upper passageway, through said lower port into the annular area about said assembly and downwardly in the annular area without said assembly and whereby the liquid can be removed upwardly through said lower passageway, through a secon upper passageway into the annular area about said assembly and above said expanded packer.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein a fiapper valve is positioned intermediate the lower end of said first upper passageway and said bypass port; and means for closing said flapper valve when said shear pin is sheared, thereby permitting communication only between said first upper passageway and said lower port in said outer cylindrical member.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein the lower end of said assembly comprises a slotted screen and a ball valve unit attached to the lower end of said slotted screen whereby as fluid is pumped downwardly within said assembly, said ball valve will remain open, permitting communication through ports in said ball valve unit and whereby when fluid is pumped upwardly within said assembly from the lower end thereof, said ball valve unit will close, permitting communication only through the slots in said screen from without said assembly to within said assembly.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 3 wherein said slots are of a diameter which will not permit flow of gravel therethrough.

5. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said first upper passageway, said second upper passageway, and said by-pass port are positioned within said inner cylindrical member and wherein said inner cylindrical member is detachable from said lower cylindrical member by releasable means whereby said inner cylindrical member may be removed to the surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,942,664 Burns June 28, 1960 

1. AN IMPROVED DUAL PURPOSE TOOL ASSEMBLY FOR REMOVING SAND FROM AND GRAVEL PACKING A PORTION OF A BOREHOLE WHICH EXTENDS INTO THE EARTH''S SUBSTRATA, SAID ASSEMBLY BEING RELEASABLY ATTACHABLE TO THE LOWER END OF A TUBING STRING EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID BOREHOLE, WHICH ASSEMBLY COMPRISES A LOWER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND AN OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER POSITIONED ABOUT SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID MEMBERS BEING ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER IN UPPER POSITION BY MEANS OF A SHEAR PIN, THEREBY INITIALLY PREVENTING VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AN INNER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER WITHIN SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, A FIRST UPPER PASSAGEWAY WITHIN SAID INNER MEMBER COMMUNICATING FROM WITHIN SAID TUBING TO A BY-PASS PORT WITHIN SAID INNER MEMBER, SAID BY-PASS PORT, IN TURN, COMMUNICATING TO THE UPPER END OF A LOWER PASSAGEWAY WITHIN SAID LOWER MEMBER, SAID LOWER PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING TO THE LOWER END OF SAID ASSEMBLY, WHEREBY FLUID CAN BE PUMPED DOWNWARDLY WITHIN SAID TUBING THROUGH SAID ASSEMBLY, THEREBY WASHING SAND UPWARDLY IN THE ANNULAR AREA BETWEEN SAID ASSEMBLY AND THE BOREHOLE WALL, A PACKER ASSEMBLY POSITIONED ON SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID PACKER ASSEMBLY BEING CAPABLE OF EXPANDING AND SEALING OFF THE ANNULAR AREA BETWEEN THE BOREHOLE WALL AND SAID ASSEMBLY, MEANS FOR EXERTING A DOWNWARD THRUST ON SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER TO SHEAR SAID PIN, THEREBY ALLOWING SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER TO MOVE VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOWER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER TO A LOWER POSITION TO EXPAND SAID PACKER, A LOWER PORT IN SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BELOW SAID PACKER DESIGNED TO ALIGN ITSELF WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST UPPER PASSAGEWAY UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER TO ITS LOWER POSITION, THEREBY PERMITTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER PASSAGEWAY AND THE ANNULAR AREA WITHOUT SAID ASSEMBLY, WHEREBY GRAVEL CAN BE PUMPED DOWNWARDLY WITHIN SAID TUBING THROUGH SAID FIRST UPPER PASSAGEWAY, THROUGH SAID LOWER PORT INTO THE ANNULAR AREA ABOUT SAID ASSEMBLY AND DOWNWARDLY IN THE ANNULAR AREA WITHOUT SAID ASSEMBLY AND WHEREBY THE LIQUID CAN BE REMOVED UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID LOWER PASSAGEWAY, THROUGH A SECOND UPPER PASSAGEWAY INTO THE ANNULAR AREA ABOUT SAID ASSEMBLY AND ABOVE SAID EXPANDED PACKER. 